20 July 2008

US Hegemony Harms Democratic Advancement in Cuba

More evidence, if we ever needed it, of the hypocrisy that is US foreign "relations." (I'd call it foreign anti-relations, or 'do as we say, not as we do' policy.)

According to [Cuba's] Vice Minister of Telecommunication, Boris Moreno, the government is unable to offer Cubans comprehensive Internet for their new PCs because the American embargo prevents it from getting service directly from the United States nearby through underwater cables. Instead, Cuba gets Internet service through less reliable satellite connections, usually from faraway countries including Italy and Canada.

One of the greatest tools for promoting grassroots democracy (as opposed to the democracy-in-name-only that is imposed on its own people and foreigners by the US government) is the Internet. Which is why, rather than enabling Cuba to link to the Internet via Florida's underground cable, a mere 120 km away, US policy forces Cuba to make a deal with Venezuela, 1,500 km distant from them.

Check out the link. It points to Wikileaks, one of my favourite sources for leaked secret documents. The ones which go with this story include technical details, maps, information on the agreements' signators, terms and conditions, costs, and much more.

Chrystal Ocean: Social libertarian; democratic reformer; passionate activist for housing reform, especially for changes in property laws to be more inclusive of housing alternatives; atheist; founder of a group run by and for women in poverty, author of several blogs and a book. Contact | Complete profile

Daphne Moldowin: I have chosen a minimalist lifestyle, am a raw food vegan and an anti-capitalist. For me, less means more freedom: to rage against the machine and to speak my mind. I champion others who have small voices. Complete profile